Adjustable shaft lift



Sept. 27, 1932. E. F. HATHORN ADJUSTABLE SHAFT LIFT l E Ll Patented Sept. 27, 1932 ELMER r. HATHORN,

OF EDGER'AION, WISCONSIN, ASSGNOB, TO HIGHWAY TRAILER COMPANY, OF Y EDGERTON, WISCONSIN AIKVUS'J'ABLEr SHAFT .LIFT

Application filed June 16,

In the construction of trailers Vadapted to be connected with a traction vehicle and forming the pay load therefor, it is customary to provide a wheeled support for the iront of the trailer operative when the trailer i is disconnected from its traction vehicle.

In the so-called automatic type of trailer, this wheeled support is automatically moved from operative to inoperative position when Ehe trailer is coupled to the traction vehicleV nallyV of the trailer and operating the wheeled support, and a second shaft extending transversely of the trailer and provided with a gear in mesh with the gear of the threaded shaft. .ihe transverse shaft is supplied with a handle adjacent the body of the trailer, the turning of which handle by an operato-r actuates the shafts above mentioned for movement of the support; of course suitable bearings for @he shafts are secured to the trailer chassis Vfor supporting the shafts.

1t is, however, sometimes desirable to mount bodies of dierent widths upon a given chassis. This, however, renders the operrating devices for the support diflicultly operable, or inconvenient, since it is desirable to have the operating handle projecting not substantially beyond the side of the body. This means, therefore, that a transverse -haft of length suitable for a wide body would be too long for va narrower body, and a shaft of suitable length for a narrower body would be inoperative in the event that a wider body were mounted upon the chassis, since such a wide body would render the operating handle inoperative.

To overcome this disadvantage, the present invention embraces means for rendering adjustable the eifective length of the trans- 50 verse shaft, so that either a wide or narrow 1931. Serial No. 544,905.

body may be mounted upon the chassis without interfering with the operation of the sup# port. y

The invention will be more readily under stood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Y Figure 1 is a fragmentaryvertical sectional view through the front of a trailer equipped with the present invent-ion, the View being taken approximately on the line 1 1 of Fig'` ure 3. Y Y' Figure 2 is a fragmentary detailed view of. a portion of the transverse operating shaft, and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a trailer embracing the present improvements.

Referring more particularly to the` drawing, 1 indicates the chassis frame of the trailer upon which is mounted the rbody 2. Extending longitudinally beneath the body 1 is an I-beam Scarrying brackets L in which operates a shaft 5, threaded as indicated at 6 and' provided with a gear 7 at the forward end thereof.

The wheeled support for the tractor embraces the wheels 8 mountedon axle 9, andthe standards 10 vand 11 which are hinged at 12 to the member 13 carried by the I-beam 3. Each end of the axle 9 operates in a bearing 14 formed at the end of the standard 15 which is hingedly connected at '16 tothe chassis For operating the shaft 5 there is provided the'shaft 2O extending transversely of the trailer. This shaft operates in bearings 21 and 22, the bearing 21 being carried by the chassis frame 1 and the bearing 22 is carried by the bracket 4l Thev shaft 5 has keyed to it, as indicated at 23, the gear 24 which meshes with the gear 7 of the shaft 5. The

Shaft 20 is slotted for a substantial portion of its length as indicated at 25, the key23 mits the shafty 20 to be moved inwardly ory operating in this slot, which accordingly peroutwardlywith respect to the body 2, while the key permits rotation of the gear 24 in any position of adjustment of the shaft 20; in

vother words, the slot 25 permits the shaft 2O to slip through the gear Qtwithout disturb I ing the engagement of the gear 24 with the Y 34 are provided.

l rfear 7, whileV always rotation of the shaft 2Ov *,vill cause rotation efy the gearQl withlcorresponding actuation ofl gear 7 and shaft 5 to produce movement of the wheeled support.

For imparting rotation of the shaft 20 there is lprovided the handle 25, rotation ofwhich"`V 1.

iandle by anoperatorrotates the shaft 2O throughl engagement ofthe pinQ with the sides of' the 'slot '9,7 in the handle member. The adjustment of the shaft 20 is indicated ey the dotted" lines in Figure 1. Y

T For controlling the adjustment of the shaft 20, there are provided a pair of clamping` membersQSand V29. which are Yadapted to be clamped in position, through operation of the rset screws 30r Vand. 31.@ Since the clamp 28V 'sears against the-fixed bracket 32, which iny eEect is a part of the chassis frame l, and the clamp 29Vbears against the fixed bracket 22, itwill be apparent that, when the screwsl 30 and 31 are in clamping engagement with the shaft 20, longitudinal movement of the shaft is effectively prevented. To hold the screws matictrailer so that a body of the 'desiredk width may be mounted upon the chassis withY` -ut interference with the operation of these actuating devices. Itwill'also be apparent 4 that modification of the details of theherein specifically illustrated and described form af the invention may -befmade without departing from the underlying inventive conp turbing theV position ofthe gear, the saidV means comprising an elongated key carrying the gear, an elongated groove in the shaft, Y

the grooveenabling the shaft to slide'relatively to the gear, and means passing'through the ykey for interlocking with the shaftv to re- 'Y leasably secure Ait in any desired position of adjustment for 'positioning the operatingA `handle out.ofobstructingrelation'Withbodies of diiferentwidths mounted onthe chassis,

whereby the shafts are freely operable irrespective ofthe width ofthe vehicle body 'on v the chassis.

prising instrumentalities for moving theV 2; A device ofthe character described,com

usual movable support `for a trailer chassis linto'operativeV and inoperative, positions, the

said instrumentalities comprising a kshaft 5 y operatively carrying themovable'supporting f member and adapted to move the supporting .B5-'i -member therealong uponrotation of the.` g.

shaft, a second shaft extending transversely ofthe chassis and provided with a sleeve enclosing a portion of the shaft, an Voperating handle for the shaft, a gear? secured to theV sleeve and interme'shing' with a corresponding gear on the first mentioned shaft, the said sleeve being provided with releasable means adapted to engage the shaft and to rotate the sleeve and gear'with the shaft, the said means when released permitting the shaft to Vslide I through the sleeve.v for adjusting the position f c Vof the shaft laterally relatively to the chassis for adjustably Ypositioning the handle Yto ac. commodate bodies'of different kwidths mount-V ed on' the chassis.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

- f ELMER F.y HATHORN.

cept, and that such modifications will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates; it will be ac- "ordingly understood that it is intended and lesired to embrace within the scope of this invention such modifications and changes as may be required to adapt it to varying cone ditions and uses'. l Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure hy Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A device of the Acharacter described,

comprising instrumentalities for moving the `isual support for a trailer chassis into oper- .itive and inoperative positions, the said instrumentahtiescomprising a shaft extending transversely of the chassis, an operating handle upon the shaft, a gear splined to the shaft,

and means for adjusting the position of the "shaft relatively to the chassis without dis-k 

